I saw the documentary No Impact Man last night. In conclusion, I think it was a good documentary because I'm still thinking about it. However, I did find myself getting annoyed as I watched their journey and I think a conversation between Michelle(the wife) and a friend probably summed up part of it. As the project gathered steam and therefore press, Michelle was wondering why so many people hated them. Which is indeed a strange thing because after all, they weren't asking anyone else to make the choices they were making. They weren't preaching. They were just trying something out for themselves and if it inspired you to make changes in your own life, hey it was a bonus. Michelle's friend replied that she thought it was possibly because so many groups had been working to save the environment and promoting a sustainable way to live for a long time and yet Colin (the husband) seemed mainly to be doing it to write a book (and I'll fill in those blanks...become rich and famous?) Additionally, the friend suggested that people reading about this project felt guilty about their own lives. And i think that's true. Because I did. Which is good. Because it can lead to change and therefore a more sustainable lifestyle that benefits all. But I'll get back to that. Maybe.

I think another problem with the dislike towards the project was simply Colin, despite his all-over positive journey that he was undertaking.He just doesn't come across as a likable person. He seems very selfish. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that my guess is that Michelle's work makes it possible for them to afford their lives because Colin is a writer who hasn't written any blockbusters that Oprah has touted, and doesn't seem to have any other source of income as most writers do. And yet when Michelle wants to have a baby, he doesn't want to because it will negatively impact his time. I'm pretty sure they have someone who cares for their daughter as she wasn't in a lot of the scenes, so I would take that to mean he is not a stay-at-home-dad and therefore has the length of the workday to write, which again, I don't think most writers have that type of luxury of time. I'm not saying that wanting only one child isn't a legitimate choice, I'm just saying that in the context of the movie and their life and his wife's amazing willingness to give-up everything consumerism in order to embark on this experiment with him, discovering that she had to talk him into marrying her and talk him into having a child with her seems pretty what the what?

Because dude, she is a gem and a half. She is clearly not a crunchy granola type woman. She readily admits she doesn't like nature. This is a woman who can afford to buy boots that cost $950 and she does. She has a closet full of designer clothes. She can identify the name of a Marc Jacobs bag at 100 paces. And she gives up everything that hints at consumerism, including toilet paper, in order to support your project. Additionally, she does so with grace and humor. And perhaps the way the movie was edited has something to do with this, but Colin just does not seem to appreciate it or her. When she's suffering from caffeine withdrawal(and that really hurts--anyone who has given up caffeine can attest that it causes migraine like headaches that SUCK) he seems disgusted and annoyed that they are even conversing about her trivial pain.

Anyway, so it is an interesting documentary. And i hope that in their private lives, he recognizes what a wonderful partner he has. Gotta make the doughnuts.